Locking assembly for use in lockable containers

ABSTRACT

A lockable container includes a sleeve, a locking assembly, and a slideable platform. The slideable platform can be stored in the sleeve. The locking assembly and the slideable platform can each have one or more of an engaging mechanism and a receiving mechanism, with reciprocal engaging mechanisms and/or receiving mechanisms being included at the other element. A release button can be included in the locking assembly to disengage the engaging mechanism from the receiving mechanism.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 61/041,149 filed on Mar. 31, 2008, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference thereto. The present disclosure relates generally to child-resistant and/or lockable containers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a locking assembly for use in a lockable container.

BACKGROUND

Child-resistant or lockable containers, wherein multiple movements are required to open the container, have many uses. One use for a lockable container is to control the dispensing of medicine and medicaments in the form of pills and tablets. For example, locking caps on medicine bottles are well known. The typical locking cap mechanism requires a coordinated alignment and tipping, or axial pressure, or inward radial squeezing while turning the cap to remove it from its container in order to access the medicaments.

By way of another example, medicines are packaged in convenient flat boxes, which are difficult to secure with child-resistant features. Many medicaments in the form of tablets are sold in blister packs—blisters formed on a sheet sealed by a barrier that is punctured when extracting a tablet from a blister. When a typical cardboard flat box holding one or more blister packs is opened the entire contents of the package is exposed, making all of the tablets immediately available. The dangers posed by children with access to a large quantity of tablets not intended for their consumption is self evident.

SUMMARY

The illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a child-resistant lockable container for storage and dispensing of medications packaged with a slideable member that holds items, for example, a tray, a drawer with compartments, a blister card, a blister pack, or the like (“slideable card”). The slideable card is illustrated as a conventional blister package, but the slideable member can be a tray, a slideable package, or any other packaging, as is known to those skilled in the art. A lockable container can include a sleeve. The sleeve can be made from any suitable material, including, but not limited to, paper, plastic, metal, cardboard, and the like. A locking assembly is illustrated as a two-piece molded plastic insert that can receive at least a portion of the slideable card. Posts molded on one piece of the locking assembly can be connected, and in some embodiments sealed or welded, with the corresponding hollow cylinders molded on the other piece of locking assembly. Other attachment mechanisms can be used, and use of such other mechanisms is contemplated. The locking assembly can be placed into cooperative alignment with the sleeve, for example, placed inside the sleeve. The slideable card slideably can be translated into at least a portion of the sleeve and the locking assembly.

The locking assembly can include one or more locking features. The locking features can include, for example, one or more posts, apertures, catches, lips, hooks, adhesives, metallic and/or magnetic surfaces, VELCRO® fasteners, or other engaging mechanisms (“post”) formed on one or both of the two pieces of the locking assembly. When the slideable card is inserted into the locking assembly, the engaging mechanisms of the locking assembly can engage, for example, one or more apertures, posts, catches, lips, hooks, adhesives, metallic and/or magnetic surfaces, VELCRO® fasteners, or other receiving mechanisms (“aperture”) formed on or in the slideable card. A release button is located on the locking assembly, and is positioned proximate to the post. One or more ribs, springs, and/or other biasing mechanisms can be located proximate the engaging or receiving mechanisms to exert a compressive force upon, and thereby urge, the engaging mechanism to engage the receiving mechanism.

Pressing the release button manipulates the slideable card to disengage the engaging and receiving mechanisms so that the slideable card can be slideably removed. The sleeve into which the locking assembly can be inserted can include, among other things, a cutout for providing a user access to the release button, an open end, through which the slideable card can be passed, a closed end, and one or more alignment structures for aligning the locking assembly with the sleeve. The sleeve can also include retention mechanisms for maintaining the locking assembly in the proper configuration for the desired operation of the container.

These and further features will be described with reference to the drawings, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are a perspective views of a locking assembly, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the locking assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the locking assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the locking assembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are exploded views of the locking assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary slideable card for use in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a lockable package including a sleeve and the exemplary locking assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the lockable package of FIG. 9 holding an exemplary slideable card similar to the slideable card of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. It must be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary examples of the disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof. As used herein, the word “exemplary” is used expansively to refer to embodiments that serve as illustrations, specimens, models, or patterns. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. In other instances, well-known components, systems, materials, or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure.

For purposes of teaching, the illustrated embodiments are shown and described in the context of a lockable container that includes a sleeve, a locking assembly, and a slideable card that is configured to store and dispense pharmaceutical-related goods. In the illustrated embodiments, the slideable card is illustrated as a blister card. However, the lockable container can be utilized to store and dispense other items, and can be specifically useful for small, delicate, sensitive, or portable items. Examples of such items include all manner of consumable products such as candy, food, vitamins, and the like; and all manner of personal care products such as contact lens, birth control devices, smoking cessation patches, hearing aid batteries, and the like.

Further, the lockable container can be configured to store and dispense items that are not packaged in a blister card but in any slidable platform. In such embodiments, the blister card packaging can be substituted with a tray, card, rack, pack, pouch, or the like. In general, the teaching provided herein are applicable to any structure that holds or stores an item, that provides a basis for attaching or securing an item thereto, or that is otherwise associated with an item. In describing the locking assembly, features and functions are described, though it will be appreciated that the locking assembly may not function as described unless the locking assembly is cooperatively assembled with a sleeve, an outer container, or other package component. Nonetheless, for the sake of brevity and simplicity, the locking assembly functions are described with reference to the locking assembly without illustrating a sleeve or other package component.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like features throughout, embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. Turning to FIGS. 1-7, an exemplary embodiment of a locking assembly 10 for use in a lockable package is illustrated. The locking assembly 10 can be formed from a base portion 16 and a top portion 18. The base portion 16 and the top portion 18 can be attached to one another, as shown in FIGS. 1-5. Specifically, the base portion 16 and the top portion 18 can be attached to one another with pegs or pins 20 that are press fit in hollow cylinders 22. In alternative embodiments, it is contemplated that the locking assembly 10 can be a unitary structure, or that the base portion 16 and the top portion 18 can be attached to one another by elements that provide a snap connection, by welding, by elements that provide a sliding connection, by mechanical fasteners, by glue or other adhesives, by other attachment mechanisms, combinations thereof, and the like.

The locking assembly 10 can include a compartment portion 24 that is dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a blister card 12 (illustrated in FIG. 8), and to align features of the blister card 12 with features of locking assembly 10. The blister card 12 will be described below in detail with reference to FIG. 8. Returning now to FIGS. 1-7, in the illustrated embodiment, the compartment portion 24 is defined a portion of the base portion 16, the top portion 18, and the end wall 30.

The illustrated locking assembly 10 includes a locking post 36 that projects into the compartment portion from the top portion 18. It should be appreciated that the locking post 36 is merely exemplary as an embodiment of an engaging mechanism. The engaging mechanism 36 can be any element that can cooperatively engage a receiving mechanism of a sliding platform, as will be described in detail below. The illustrated locking post 36 is shaped so as to lift and engage at least a portion of the blister card 12 as the blister card 12 is substantially fully inserted into the compartment portion 24 of the locking assembly 10. Specifically, the locking post 36 includes a sloped surface 38 that faces the open end 32 of the compartment portion 24. The locking post 36 also includes a contacting surface 39, for engaging the blister card 12 as described below. In the illustrated embodiment, the contacting surface 39 is oriented opposite the sloped surface 38 so as to face the end wall 30.

The locking assembly 10 includes a release button 40 that, in the illustrated embodiment, is defined by a U-shaped slot 42 and a hinge 44 so as to be pivotally displaceable into the compartment portion 24. The release button 40 is disposed in the top portion 18 between the locking post 36 and the end wall 30 with the distal end of the release button 40 being located proximate the contacting surface 39 of the locking post 36. The illustrated release button 40 includes a rib extension 46 (best viewed in FIG. 7) that extends into the compartment portion 24 to facilitate contacting and displacing the blister card 12, as will be described in further detail below.

The illustrated locking assembly 10 includes a leaf spring 47, or other retainer such as a hook, a clip, a VELCRO® connector, or the like, that is dimensioned and positioned to allow the blister card 12 to freely slide into the compartment and to engage the blister card 12 as the blister card 12 is removed from the compartment. In the illustrated embodiment, the illustrated retainer 47 is illustrated as extending away from a sleeve-interface portion 26 of the base portion 16. As illustrated, the retainer 47 can extend away from the base portion 16 at an angle toward the top portion 18 and toward the end wall 30. The function of the sleeve-interface portion 26 will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

Returning now to FIGS. 1-7, ribs 48 a, springs 48 b, or other biasing elements can extend from the base portion 16 to urge or bias at least a portion of the blister card 12 towards the top portion 18. Alternative biasing elements include leaf springs, dagger springs, and other elements, for example, elements that exert a compressive force on the blister card 12. In alternative embodiments, one or more ribs 48 a direct the blister card 12 toward the top portion 18 and function as the biasing elements 48 a, 48 b.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the sliding platform in the form of a blister card 12 is now described in further detail. The illustrated blister card 12 includes a planar substrate 50 and a plurality of blisters 52 that typically hold one or more items such as medicaments 53. The blisters 52 are arranged so as to avoid contact with certain internal features of the locking assembly 10 when the blister card 12 is translated into or out of a lockable package. For purposes of describing the orientation of the blister card 12, a leading edge E1 and a trailing edge E2 are defined.

According to an exemplary method of forming a blister card 12 blisters 52 are formed in a planar plastic sheet to provide a tray and items are placed in the recesses provided by the blisters 52. Thereafter, a backing, such as a sheet of paperboard or foil, is attached to the planar portion of the tray to enclose the items in the blisters 52. According to this formation of a blister card 12, the planar substrate 50 is defined by laminated layers provided by the plastic sheet and paperboard or foil backing.

The blister card 12 includes an engaging aperture 54 that is dimensioned and positioned to receive the locking post 36. It should be understood, that the shape, location, configuration, and structure of the illustrated aperture 54 is merely an exemplary embodiment of a receiving mechanism. The receiving mechanism 54 can be any element that can cooperatively engage the engaging mechanism 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the aperture 54 is positioned proximate the leading edge E1. The compartment and the blister card 12 are dimensioned with respect to one another such that, when the blister card 12 is substantially, fully inserted into the compartment portion 24, the engaging aperture 54 is positioned or aligned to receive the locking post 36.

The blister card 12 can be alternatively configured and/or formed according to alternative methods. For example the blister card 12 can include an alternative number of blisters 52 and/or blisters 52 that are alternatively arranged. As another example, the blister cards 12 can taper or narrow towards the leading edge E1 to facilitate being received in the sleeve 14. Similarly, although the blisters 52 are illustrated as having substantially the same shape and being spaced apart by substantially similar distances, it should be understood that the blisters 52 can have irregular and/or inconsistent shapes, and that each of the blisters 52 need not contain the same product as the other blisters 52.

A method of operating a lockable container including the locking assembly 10 is now described. In the illustrated embodiment, a locking feature that releasably locks the blister card 12 within locking assembly 10 includes the locking post 36, the biasing elements 48 a, 48 b, and the engaging aperture 54. To releasably lock the blister card 12 in the sleeve 14, the leading edge E1 of the blister card 12 is inserted through the open end 32 of the locking assembly 10 with the blisters 52 facing the base portion 16.

As the blister card 12 slides into the compartment, the rib 48 a can slide between blisters 52, or rows of blisters 52. The blister card 12 can be further translated until the leading edge E1 slides over the sloped surface 38 and the locking post 36 is received in the aperture 54. Thereafter, the contacting surface 39 contacts the edge of the aperture 54 to releasably lock the blister card 12 in the locking assembly 10. Further, the biasing elements 48 a, 48 b can push the blister card 12 toward the top portion 18 to hold the aperture 54 in a position whereat the aperture 54 is engaged with the locking post 36.

In the illustrated embodiment, a releasing feature for releasing the blister card 12 from the locking assembly 10 includes the release button 40. To release the blister card 12 from the locking assembly 10, the release button 40 is pressed into the compartment portion 24 such that the rib extension 46 contacts the blister card 12 and displaces the blister card 12 toward the base portion 16. The blister card 12 pushes against the biasing elements 48 a, 48 b and the engaging aperture 54 is lifted out of engagement with the locking post 36. Thereafter, the blister card 12 can be grasped near the trailing edge E2 and pulled away from the compartment portion 24 and through the open end 32. In the illustrated embodiment, the blister card 12 can be prevented from being fully extracted by the retainer 47, which is received in the aperture 54. In alternative embodiments, the blister card 12 can be fully extracted or can be indexed or metered, thereby allowing access to a limited number of blisters 52 at a time.

Referring now to FIG. 9, an exploded view of a lockable package 100 is illustrated, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9, a lockable package 100 can include a sleeve 101 and a locking assembly 10. As briefly described above, the locking assembly 10 can include a sleeve-interface portion 26. The sleeve 101 can include an open end 102 through which a slideable card 12, for example, a blister card, can be slideably translated. The open end 102 can optionally include one or more flaps 104. In some embodiments, the open end 102 includes two or more flaps 104. In other embodiments, the open end 102 includes one flap 104, and the flap 104 includes an interface slot 106. The sleeve 101, can also include closed end flaps 108, 110 configured to form a closed end for the sleeve 101. The sleeve 101 can also include a release button cutout 112 for providing access to the release button 40 of the locking assembly 10 when the locking assembly 10 is inserted into the sleeve 101.

Turning now to FIG. 10, a perspective view of a lockable package 100 is illustrated, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 10, the locking assembly 10 can be inserted into the sleeve 101 and locked into an operation position. The sleeve 101 can be a substantially tubular structure that is formed from a desired number of substantially planar walls. For example, the sleeve 101 can be formed from a blank and the blank can include at least four wall panels, including a top, bottom, and two side panels. Additionally, the blank can include flaps extending from one or more wall panels. The illustrated sleeve 101 includes a top panel 92, a bottom panel 94, and two side panels 96 and 98, and flaps 104, 108, and 110 extending from one or more of the panels 92, 94, 96, 98.

The sleeve-interface portion 26 of the locking assembly 10 can interact with the flaps 104 and the interface slot 106 to place the locking assembly 10 in the proper orientation for operation of the lockable package 100. In one embodiment, the width of the slot 106 is dimensioned to be substantially equal to the width of the sleeve-interface portion 26 of the locking assembly 10. As such, the edges 114 of the flap(s) 104 can interact with an interface edge 116 of the locking assembly 10 to create a press-fit connection between the sleeve 101 and the locking assembly 10. Additionally, or in the alternative, a portion 118 of the locking assembly 10 can slide under a portion of the flap 104. As such, the portion of the flap 104 that surrounds the interface slot 106 can provide a “shoulder” for the locking assembly 10. The shoulder can add additional support for the locking assembly 10 and can keep the locking assembly 10 being pushed through the open end 102 of the sleeve 101.

The closed-end flaps 108, 110 of the sleeve 101 can be closed to form a closed end 120. The closed end 120 can be configured to provide a snug fit between the locking assembly 10 and the sleeve 101 along the end wall 30 of the locking assembly 10. The closed end 120, the interface slot 106, and the edges 114 can engage the end wall 30, and the interface edges 116 and the interface portion 118 of the locking assembly 10 to hold the locking assembly 10 in a firm and at least substantially immobilized position without the use of adhesives or mechanical fasteners between the locking assembly 10 and the sleeve 101. A slideable card 12 can be inserted into the sleeve 101 and into a locked position by interfacing with the locking assembly 10, as illustrated in FIG. 10.

It will be appreciated that the illustrated locking assembly 10 can be made of any desired material, for example, plastic, metal, recycled plastic, and the like. Since the sleeve 101 can conceal most of the locking assembly 10, the color, texture, and other appearance of the locking assembly 10 can be tailored to provide maximum cost efficiency with less attention to appearance of the locking assembly 10. Additionally, the locking assembly 10 can be recyclable, disposable, or reusable since the locking assembly 10 can be held by the sleeve 101 without the use of mechanical or chemical fasteners. In some embodiments, the locking assembly 10 is held in place using chemical and/or mechanical fasteners and container 100 is disposable.

The law does not require and it is economically prohibitive to illustrate and teach every possible embodiment of the present claims. Hence, the above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Variations, modifications, and combinations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. All such variations, modifications, and combinations are included herein by the scope of this disclosure and the following claims. 

1. A container comprising: a sleeve comprising a plurality of walls connected to form a void for slideably receiving a slideable platform and a locking assembly; the locking assembly comprising: a top portion connected to a base portion, and a first engaging element extending from the top portion; and the sliding platform comprising a second engaging element for engaging the first engaging element.
 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes an open end through which the slideable platform and the locking assembly can be translated, the sleeve further having at least one flap defined at the open end thereof, the at least one flap defining an interface slot, the locking assembly being oriented for operation by the engagement of the base portion thereof with the interface slot.
 3. The container of claim 1, wherein the first engagement element is a locking post, the second engaging element being an aperture, the locking post being configured for selectably engaging with the aperture.
 4. The container of claim 3, wherein the locking post defines a sloped surface for promoting displacement of the slideable platform toward the base portion when the slideable platform is first substantially inserted into the sleeve.
 5. The container of claim 1, wherein the top portion of the locking assembly further includes a release button, the release button being pivotably displaceable toward the base portion, the release button being configured for displacing the sliding platform toward the base portion.
 6. The container of claim 5, wherein the release button further defines a rib extension for contacting the sliding platform.
 7. The container of claim 5, wherein the sleeve defines a release button cutout for providing access to the release button.
 8. The container of claim 1, wherein the base portion includes at least one biasing element extending therefrom, each biasing member being configured for urging at least a portion of the sliding platform toward the top portion of the locking assembly.
 9. The container of claim 1, wherein the base portion further includes a sleeve-interface portion distal from the portion thereof connected to the top portion.
 10. The container of claim 9, wherein the sleeve includes an open end through which the slideable platform and the locking assembly can be translated, the sleeve further having at least one flap defined at the open end thereof, the at least one flap defining an interface slot, the locking assembly being oriented for operation by the engagement of the sleeve-interface portion with the interface slot.
 11. The container of claim 9, wherein the sleeve-interface portion has a retainer extending therefrom that is dimensioned and positioned to allow the slideable platform to slide freely into the sleeve and to engage the second engagement element as the slideable platform is removed from the sleeve.
 12. The container of claim 11, wherein the sleeve-interface portion is retained in the sleeve by the at least one flap, the retainer extending through the interference slot.
 13. The container of claim 1, wherein slideable platform is a blister card.
 14. The container of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly is at least one of recyclable, disposable, and reusable.
 15. The container of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is formed from a blank. 